SummaryA recounting of Jack Kerouac's (here known by the name of his fictional alter-ego Jack Duluoz) three sojourns to poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti's cabin in Big Sur.
Directed By:Michael Polish
Written By:Michael Polish, Jack Kerouac
Big Sur
Metascore
Mixed or Average
49
User score
Mixed or Average
4.8
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
49
43% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
29% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
29% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Oct 31, 2013
80
Filmed without a trace of sentimentality, Big Sur is an achingly sad last hurrah.
Oct 31, 2013
70
Although no less fawning and indulgent about its self-centered subject, played by Jean-Marc Barr (who also narrates, run-on style), the muted emptiness of the ill-fated sojourn wills its way toward something like existential meaningfulness.
Sep 20, 2013
70
Filming a truly immersive and dimensional adaptation of a Kerouac novel remains an ongoing challenge for any filmmaker, but Polish’s film comes closer than most, while adding another layer of complexity to the author’s venerable reputation.
Oct 30, 2013
50
Nobody’s given the opportunity to do much more than brood prettily and occasionally shout carpe diembromides into the pounding surf.
Oct 29, 2013
40
Not exactly a hagiography, Polish's film isn't a tragedy, either -- it's just an uneventful afternoon spent with a dozing rummy.
Oct 31, 2013
30
Despite the parade of pretty images and lovely scenery, Big Sur stubbornly fails to cohere into a real movie; instead, it feels like an illustrated novel full of words, ideas, and images, but devoid of structure or characterization.
Oct 29, 2013
20
Edited to ribbons so that every peripheral player — Kate Bosworth, Radha Mitchell, Josh Lucas, Henry Thomas — is even more one-dimensional than Kerouac himself, it’s a work that accurately expresses the awfulness of narcissistic self-destruction, and nothing else.
User score
Mixed or Average
4.8
33% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
33% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
33% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Sep 14, 2016
7
Caught Big Sur on DVD last night. Visually stunning (M. David Mullen camera lens) film that lets Kerouac's words breathe in the external beauty while dipping into Kerouac's dark psyche. I liked the mix of Beat characters, all good performances, and the voiceover helped to provide context with Jack's state of mind. Worth a watch.
Production Company:
- 3311 Productions
- Troy Entertainment
Release Date:Nov 1, 2013
Duration:1 h 21 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Some souls never stop searching.
Awards
California on Location Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Munich Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
Film by the Sea International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
